Shelter
by mveloc
Summary: Sequel to "Half Life." Delphine and Cosima work compulsively to try and find a cure for the slowly deteriorating clone, but time is running out and lies are unraveling.
1. I

**Author's Note:** First of all, I want to thank everyone for the amazing response. It's been a long while since I've written anything that wasn't academic or work related, so I was afraid I'd forgotten how to write creatively (which is what I went to school for in the first place, ironically enough). But you guys have been super encouraging and supportive and I feel more inspired now than I have in a very long time. This is the sequel to "Half Life," so if you haven't read it, I suggest checking it out first. It isn't entirely necessary, since I'd characterize Half Life as being more comprised of character development than actual plot, but it'll provide you with some insight into the characters' mindsets coming into this. I'm looking at about five or six chapters right now, possibly a couple more depending on how long I make each chapter. Once again, all comments and criticisms are welcome; I love hearing what you guys think, so let me know! :)

* * *

She awakened to another coughing fit, a ritual which had become all too familiar to her in the past month. Reaching over to the bedside table, she grabbed a tissue to catch the splatters of blood as they were forcefully expelled from her mouth. She struggled for a moment to catch her breath and fight the tickle in her chest, and that's when she heard a shuffling coming from the living room.

"I'm fine!" she shouted, finally regaining control.

The right side of the bed was empty and had been for quite some time, judging by the lack of warmth. The sheets were still disheveled, the groove of a head still indented in the pillow; proof that someone had been sleeping uneasily just hours before.

"Are you certain?" a voice called back.

She threw her feet over the edge of the bed, forfeiting its warmth as she slowly rose. She slipped her glasses on and grabbed a black, oversized sweater off the floor and pulled it on over her head before journeying into the other room. Much like her early morning coughing ritual, seeing the blonde hunched over her laptop with papers splayed all across the table had become another regular occurrence.

"Good morning," she mumbled, her voice raspy.

Her lover looked up from her laptop, offering a small smile of acknowledgement before dipping her head back down to continue with her work. Unpleased with the response, the brunette stalked over to the blonde, stopping behind her. She reached forward, grasping the woman's head and forcing it back gently to plant a soft, upside down kiss upon her lips.

"I said 'good morning,' " she whispered against her lips.

"_Bonjour_."

She released the French woman's head, giving her the freedom to return to the task at hand. Instead, she watched the brunette disappear into the kitchen with a lazy smile on her face, admiring the curve of her ass as it just barely dipped out from beneath the large sweater.

"I'm gonna put some coffee on," the spectacled girl proclaimed, digging in the cupboard for the almost empty tin of coffee.

She paused when she felt warm arms slide around her waist and a kiss press against her cheek, eliciting a smile.

"Sorry. I'm just trying to-"

"I know, I know. You don't have to explain. I should be thanking you."

She knew the reason why her monitor had been so distracted and had been sleeping so little these last few weeks was because of her. She had been working around the clock, scouring every corner of the Internet, analyzing every molecule of her DNA, all to try to find some sort of answer to her ailment.

"Cosima."

"Hm?"

She turned the shorter girl around so that they were facing each other. No words were exchanged, only understanding smiles. She leaned forward and pressed her lips against the clone's in a slow, tantalizing kiss.

"How are you feeling this morning?" she asked upon pulling away, tenderly stroking the side of the brunette's face.

Cosima kissed her palm before turning around and focusing her attention back on making coffee, grabbing a spoon from the drawer and a new filter from the packet on the counter.

"Meh. Not any worse than yesterday. Not any better," Cosima responded, pouring a few spoonfuls of coffee into the filter.

She filled the appliance with water then pressed the "on" button, watching as a slow, dark drip descended into the pot. A smirk spread across her face and she laughed absentmindedly, causing the blonde to cock her head in wonder.

_"Qu'est-ce que c'est?"_

"Nothing," she shook her head, turning back around to wrap her arms around Delphine's neck. "I just think it's funny, how _domestic_ we've become."

Just a month ago, they were on huddled together on Felix's couch decoding her genome. Now they were living together. Some might have thought that seemed strange and fast, which it probably was, but it wasn't as if either of them really had a say in the matter. After joining DYAD, the institute put her up in a swanky apartment in the west end, monitor included. It was decided that it was dangerous to live alone with her condition; the chance of complications arising from her illness were too real, so it was Leekie who suggested that Delphine move in, as well, so that she could monitor the clone's condition and be there in case of emergency. Neither of them had really protested. The apartment was more than big enough for two and while they both spent a vast majority of their time at the institute, as Cosima's breaths grew shorter and energy grew scarcer, they both found themselves adjusting to their newfound home life. When the days became too long for the brunette, the blonde would take her home, as well as her research, and they would continue as best they could from the comfort of their living room.

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"No, no, no. Not at all. I just... well, I didn't expect it, that's all."

Her fingers toyed with the neckline of Delphine's robe and her eyes drifted south. The creme-colored satin was tied very loosely at the waist, allowing for the front to dip open, revealing what seemed like miles and miles of chest and cleavage to the brunette's eager eyes. She licked her lips, unaware of her own leering, which only evoked a smirk from the French woman.

"See something you like?"

"Obvs."

Her hands abandoned Delphine's neck, slowly reaching for the tie of her robe.

"Uh, uh, uh," she scolded, grabbing the girl's wandering hands and bringing them back up so that they wrapped around her neck again. "We have a long day ahead of us. We can't be late."

She pressed a light kiss to Cosima's jawline and the dreadlocked girl groaned, slouching in defeat and shuffling out of the kitchen. Delphine just chucked lightly, watching her disappear back into their bedroom.

"You know," she hollered from out of sight. "We don't even know if this treatment is working. I don't feel any change at all."

"Yes, but we won't know for certain unless we give it a chance, which means following through with each round," Delphine retorted, reaching into another cupboard to grab two mugs.

Today was round three, which meant another round of blood work, vaccines, scans, and an all around long day stuck in a laboratory. She knew how weary Cosima felt about all of this, but she didn't have much of a choice. So far, their own research into her illness was coming up empty. They were no closer to figuring it out than when they started. Delphine wouldn't admit this, of course, but she could tell that Cosima was slowly starting to lose faith, which only motivated her further.

"Great. I get to be poked and prodded some more today," Cosima said, re-emerging from the bedroom with her laptop and a stack of papers, which she piled next to the blonde's own work station on the table. "As if I didn't feel like enough of a lab rat already."

Delphine frowned, growing solemn.

"I'm sorry, _mon amour_. I wish there was something more I could-"

"Don't," Cosima interrupted, shooting a look of warning in the French woman's direction.

Cosima was very much aware of the blonde's tendency to blame herself for the current situation. She believed that as a scientist, she was supposed to have all the answers and as a lover, she was supposed to be able to make her partner feel better. She felt as though she was failing on both accounts and she punished herself by hardly eating or sleeping, abandoning the warmth of their bed in the early hours of the morning to work fastidiously in a zombie-like trance, and conversing regularly with Leekie, a man that she not only distrusted at this point, but was quickly coming to despise. Any illusions that once surrounded the doctor were completely shattered now and she felt like the world's biggest fool for ever having let him seduce and use her.

"I'm going to see if Jennifer's up for talking today."

The shorter girl's words caught her off guard and she perked up her head, glancing in Cosima's direction for a moment while pouring a cup of freshly brewed coffee for each of them, black for herself and two sugars for her lover; yet another ritual they both knew all too well.

"We've already reviewed her case many times. I don't know what else she could tell us that would help," Delphine mentioned, approaching Cosima and handing her a mug.

"Yeah, I know that. I'm not talking about the case, though."

Delphine's brow furrowed in confusion as she took a sip of much needed caffeine.

"She must be so scared," Cosima clarified. "And lonely. She's in bed all day with doctors poking at her. She probably doesn't even feel like a human being anymore. I know I'd want someone to talk to me like a person, not like some sick, dying victim. I'd want a friend."

It had been extremely hard to watch one of her sisters slowly degenerate. She didn't know Jennifer like she knew Sarah or Alison or like she had known Beth, but they were still intrinsically linked. Not only that, but Jennifer was a genuinely sweet girl, someone who didn't deserve the hand she was dealt in life. Doctor Leekie had given her access to Jennifer's video diaries and after watching them all, Cosima couldn't shake the nauseous feeling in her stomach. Then she met Jennifer, who could barely eat or speak and was a shell of the once lively teacher Cosima had originally come to know through the diaries. Upon leaving her hospital room for the first time, Cosima had dashed down the hallway and thrown her head into the trash bin so she could empty the contents of her stomach while Delphine just watched sympathetically. The doctor had the good sense not to ask if it was a symptom of her condition, for she knew her lover all too well at this point; the nausea came from fear, from the promise of a bleak and painful future, not from the disease itself.

"You're too sweet," Delphine smiled, stealing yet another kiss.

Cosima grabbed Delphine's mug, placing it on the table along with her own, then reached for the tie on Delphine's robe for the second time, gently tugging it open.

"What are you doing?" the blonde giggled and weakly protested. "I told you, we can't be late."

"Whatever," Cosima replied, pushing the robe from Delphine's shoulders.

The garment fell to the ground, leaving the French woman completely exposed. In an attempt to get even, Delphine reached for the hem of Cosima's sweater, easily pulling it over her head and tossing it on the sofa. Cosima grabbed her hand, leading her to the bathroom.

"We won't be long. Just a shower, that's all."

"Yes, but as I recall, there is no "just a shower" with you, _ma cherie_."

"Damn it. Looks like you're on to me," Cosima beamed. "Guess I'll have to come up with a new tactic."

* * *

"Dead?"

The word struck her like a freight train at full speed, knocking what little wind her lungs seemed to be able to hold these days.

"Yes. She passed during the night."

Passed.

As if she was slipping between membranes, permeable. As if she had floated from one plain to the next. Jennifer hadn't "passed" anywhere. Her lungs had filled with blood and puss, drowning her from the inside. They told her that they had given her drugs for the pain, to numb her senses as she fazed out, but Cosima was certain that Jennifer was still very aware of every inch of life as it left her body.

"I'm so sorry, _ma cherie_."

Cosima was a wild mix of emotions; a splash of grief, a pinch of regret, a pang of fear. Her skin became cold and clammy and Delphine wrapped an arm around her shoulder, giving the doctor a nod in understanding as she ushered the brunette down the hallway.

"We must go meet with Doctor Leekie. We're already late," Delphine explained.

"I-I know. I just..."

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to react. Her instinct was to be upset, but she knew she had to keep a level head now more so than ever, so she swallowed the lump in her throat and allowed Delphine to guide her to their destination. When they got to the lab, they could spy Leekie through the glass, shuffling through a pile of papers. Delphine offered Cosima a supportive smile and they both walked through the threshold.

"Running a little late today, ladies?" he asked, looking up from his paperwork.

"Sorry," Delphine apologized, bowing her head ever-so-slightly. "Cosima insisted we visit Jennifer first."

"Oh. I see. Then you know."

"Yeah," Cosima mumbled.

She made her way across the room, dropping unenthusiastically into the chair across from Leekie and removing her coat. He slid his papers away and out of sight, collecting the necessary tools to proceed with the first round: blood work. Delphine stalked over, standing next to Cosima for support, causing Leekie to look up from preparing his station.

"Doctor Cormier, why don't you go check in with Doctor Markovich? He was going to head the autopsy on Jennifer, but I figured you would want to be part of it," Leekie suggested.

"Right now?" Delphine asked. "Isn't it... kind of soon?"

"Come now. You of all people should understand the tight schedule we're on. The sooner we open her up and take a look, the sooner we'll know more. We might learn something new."

The way Leekie spoke of Jennifer's still-warm corpse sent a wave of nausea through Cosima. She wondered if that's how he would speak of her, when- _if_- she fell victim to this illness. Would she be just another specimen, waiting to be pulled apart and analyzed so these megalomaniacs could understand where they had went wrong? Would Delphine be there, watching as Leekie disassembled her? Would the blonde then finally be able to see herself- her name, plain as day- written on her innards? Would she understand _then_?

"If Doctor Markovich needs me, he can come and get me," Delphine responded curtly.

It didn't take three scientists in the room to sense the tension and uneasiness that lingered in the air. Since Cosima had first come to DYAD, Delphine hadn't missed a single round of treatment, blood work or tests. She was there the entire time, holding the brunette's hand as she winced in pain while each test became slightly more invasive. It wasn't only about support, though. Delphine didn't trust the other doctors involved in the case. They all answered to Leekie, whom she knew was capable of lying if it suited his interests. She had this fear in the pit of her stomach that if she left her lover alone with him, she may never see her again. Maybe it was foolish, but her instincts screamed for her to keep Cosima close.

"Afraid to leave me alone with her?" he joked, a smile slithering across his face. "I won't bite, I promise. And I'm quite gentle with a needle. Right, Cosima?"

Neither of the women bought into his charming facade, grimacing at his attempt at humor. Cosima shifted uncomfortably in her seat and Delphine crossed her arms, leaning against the table as she watched Leekie assemble the necessary tools. As if on cue, a gentle knocking pierced the silence in the room and an older, balding man in a lab coat was standing in the doorway.

"Ah, Doctor Markovich. Good morning," Leekie said cheerfully.

Cosima rolled her eyes and Delphine stood up a little straighter.

"Good morning, Doctor Leekie. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I'm here for Doctor Cormier," he replied, turning toward Delphine. "I was told to come and get you when we were ready. You might want to come and take a look."

The two women looked to each other, the blonde searching for the appropriate response. Cosima simply nodded, indicating that she would be fine without her monitor there to hold her hand, as uncomfortable as it made her to be alone with Leekie.

"_D'accord_," Delphine conceded.

She leaned down, giving Cosima a quick peck on the lips as Leekie silently observed.

"I'll see you later," the blonde said in her soft voice before she disappeared with Doctor Markovich.

There was a momentary silence between Cosima and Leekie as he tied a tourniquet around her arm, his fingers grazing her skin and causing her to squirm yet again. He found a vein, then swabbed it with alcohol. A second later, he inserted the needle and began to draw blood.

"Any worsening symptoms?" he asked.

Cosima shook her head.

"Still just coughing up blood then. No puss?"

"Not yet," Cosima mumbled.

"And how about your energy levels?" Leekie asked, as he finished filling the last vial of blood.

"I'm more drained than usual, but I still manage."

"I see."

He untied the tourniquet, tossing it into the garbage bin next to them along with the needle, then pressed a cotton ball to the entry point and taped it to her skin to cover it. He reached for a new syringe, as well as a vial of clear liquid.

"This treatment... it may sap your strength quite a bit," he explained, drawing the unknown liquid into the dropper.

"I know, I know. We've been over this."

"I'm just making sure you understand the side effects. The risks."

He held the syringe up to inspect it more closely, flicking the dropper a few times to get rid of any air bubbles that may have formed. Satisfied, he made eye contact with Cosima to confirm that she was ready. When she nodded, he inserted it into her arm and she winced, clamping her eyes shut as she felt heat shooting into her.

"All done. Not so bad, right?"

She released a breath she wasn't even aware she was holding and Leekie offered her another reptilian smile, patting her on the shoulder as he stood up and walked to the other side of the room. He shuffled through a pile of papers, collecting them in a neat stack while Cosima slipped her red coat back on. She was ready to head off to the next phase of testing, which entailed a few of hours cooped up in what felt like a tiny capsule as machines scanned her entire body. This was quite possibly the worst part of the entire ordeal; never had she felt so small or exposed as when she was trapped in what felt like a coffin full of bright lights and horrible noises. She had never been claustrophobic before, but this was very different. As she headed toward the door, Leekie's voice stopped her.

"I trust Delphine has been taking good care of you?" he asked with a hint of suggestion.

Cosima whipped around so fast, she could already feel the whiplash start to settle. She hadn't liked the tone of his voice and it lit a small fire inside of her. He quickly picked up on her change in demeanor and it was as if he was aiming for it all along.

"She has a very _caring_ touch, doesn't she?"

Her skin crawled.

She crossed her arms over her chest, assuming a defensive stance. She knew exactly what Leekie was trying to do, only she wasn't exactly sure of his motivation behind it. Why was he trying to cause a rift between her and Delphine now when he was the one who had initially pushed them together?

"Oh. Sorry, that's right. No personal questions."

It was a boundary she had established the second she, Rachel and Leekie went over her terms for joining DYAD. She would work with them, studying her own biology as well as the other clones, but she wouldn't answer any of their questions outside of the science. She could tell Rachel was displeased, as she was trying to learn everything she could about Sarah, but Leekie ultimately agreed to keep their relationship strictly professional, strictly scientific.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Cosima finally snapped.

Leekie waved his hand in dismissal.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. I was just making an observation, that's all."

"And what observation would that be?"

The gloves were off now and Leekie hadn't been expecting quite the level of sass he was receiving from the dreadlocked woman. He knew she had a feisty side, he had observed it numerous times, but she had never been quite as overt about it; her cheekiness was usually coated in subtlety, with a toothy grin or shrug of her shoulders which one might mistake as playfulness. There was nothing playful in Cosima's demeanor now and the doctor made note of how easily he had managed to strike such an important nerve.

"Delphine's always been very _involved_ in her work, ever since I met her," he began to explain. "It's not a bad thing. In fact, that's why I invited her to work here at DYAD. Although sometimes... well, I think it's the science she's _really_ in love with. That's what draws her to-"

"I'm not "her work," Doctor Leekie."

Her voice was low and guttural, laced with warning and contempt.

"Aren't you?"

Her instinct was to strike him in the mouth, to lunge at him from across the room, and she suddenly had a brand new understanding and appreciation for Sarah. Before she could act on her fantasy, Leekie quickly vacated the room, leaving her alone to stew in her anger. She stood there, balled fists at her side, staring intensely at the ground.

Why was she so upset?

Why had what Leekie said effected her so much?

Now she understood why Delphine was so reluctant to leave her alone with him. She knew he would do just this, that he would probe her until he found what made her tick. Or was the blonde simply afraid that he would reveal her secret? Cosima had her suspicions about the nature of her girlfriend's relationship with Leekie, but she didn't really think it was her place to ask, nor did she really feel like having a conversation she thought would make her sick. While she wasn't pleased to have her suspicions confirmed, it was something else he had said that really tormented her.

_"I think it's the science she's really in love with."_

She didn't want to believe it, but the more Leekie's tiny kernel of turmoil began to imbed itself in her brain, the more she began to really consider it. Would she and Delphine be involved at all if it hadn't been for the science? Forget about the monitor situation. Despite the fact that the French woman was tasked to observe her, would she have "fallen," as she claimed, if Cosima hadn't been such an important _specimen_?

**"I didn't want to fall for you. I wasn't supposed to."**

What scientist in their right mind would want to fall for their subject? Not only was it immoral, it jeopardized the results of three decades of what Cosima could only assume was very carefully collected, very sensitive data. It almost made all of Delphine's hard work completely obsolete. So why would she do it? Why would she throw away everything she had been working towards? Cosima liked to think she knew her lover well.

The science was her life.

It was her reason for breathing, it was everything she ever wanted for as long as she could remember. There was no reason why she would throw that all away just for some geek girl with a respiratory disease, probably doomed to an early death anyway.

It didn't make any sense.

**"But I have."**

"Really?"

* * *

Delphine released an exasperated sigh as she somberly drifted down the long, white corridor. The day had passed quickly, she had spent the better part of it performing Jennifer's autopsy, taking samples, then testing and conferring with the other doctors in an attempt to learn something. She was exhausted and all she wanted to do was find Cosima in their lab and take her home. She'd been working so hard lately, all she needed was just a couple of hours not staring desperately through a microscope, scrounging for answers. She just wanted her girlfriend and the comfort of their bed, away from all this madness.

She could feel her own heaviness begin to build, gravity pressing down on her and holding her in position. Her chest began to heave and she leaned against a white wall for support as she finally succumbed to the exhaustion, allowing the tears to flow freely. She'd been holding them in for so long, they punished her by scorching her skin as they trailed down the contours of her face. She didn't want to let Cosima see her cry. She needed to be strong for the both of them, for if the brunette saw her own hopelessness and despair, then she'd know how futile this quest to save her life really was. She couldn't watch Cosima break like that. The clone was already slowly beginning to fade, she had to do everything she could to keep her spirits up.

She hadn't anticipated just how difficult Jennifer's autopsy would be for her, but it had taken everything she had not to break down into sobs in front of her coworkers as she carved into the body.

All she could see was Cosima.

Cosima's pale, lifeless face as she removed the organs, one by one. She'd held Jennifer's heart in her hands today and all she could do was stare in horror as the other doctors nudged her back into reality, goading her to continue with the process. As she held the heart, all she could think of was that it must have been identical to Cosima's, that in some twisted way, she was actually holding Cosima's heart in her hands, only it was no longer beating. She was holding everything that Cosima was, everything that she could but never would be, and that was too much for her to handle.

She composed herself, wiping her tears away with the sleeve of her coat as she continued walking down the hallway. Now more than ever, she wanted to find the dreadlocked girl and hold her close. She stopped, however, when she heard a familiar British accent waft through the air and reach her ears. It was coming from around the corner, where Leekie's lab was, and she froze in place.

"Dilettantes. Nothing but foolish dilettantes. Surely we can do something about it?"

Rachel was usually so calloused and composed, but the tone of her voice betrayed everything she portrayed to most onlookers and Delphine took note. Whatever it was that she was talking about, she was angry.

"We've been over this before, Rachel. Kira Manning stays right where she is."

The voice was distinctly Leekie's, which made sense since it appeared that the conversation was coming from the doorway of his lab. Delphine was unsure of how to proceed. Should she make her presence known? It was clear that they were discussing Sarah's child, which meant that Leekie had lied to her earlier when she had asked him if he knew anything about Kira's disappearance and he'd told her he had no idea, that if DYAD had something to do with it, he wasn't complicit. His duplicity only motivated her and she decided to stay where she was, hidden from their line of vision.

"Aldous, we are wasting time we do not have. Sarah's daughter may hold all the answers we've been looking for. She may be the culmination of the last thirty years of your research and you're just standing here, telling me to do nothing."

"I understand your position on the matter, I do," Leekie replied. "To be quite honest, I'm inclined to agree with you. The sooner we bring the child in for testing, the sooner we'll know more."

Delphine began to feel sick. She was enamored by the science as much as Leekie or any of the other doctors in this building were, but the thought of abducting a child and running involuntary experiments on her was a line she would never cross. She wondered how she could be so stupid, so naive, for not having seen Leekie and DYAD's true nature years before.

"So how come you're being so complacent?" Rachel asked venomously.

"The board has been very clear. Kira Manning is not to be touched. Not for now, anyway."

"You mean _that woman_ has been very clear," Rachel corrected. "Honestly, Aldous. How long will they allow her to continue to stand in our way and muddle the results? If you ask me, our current predicament is entirely her fault."

"Perhaps. I'm sure the other board members will come around to our way of thinking eventually. Soon they'll realize how necessary Kira is in all of this and when they do, even _she_ won't be able to protect her. Until that day comes, we'll just have to keep playing our parts."

"I'm no actor, Aldous. I'm nobody's pawn."

"And yet, here we are."

The conversation came to a close and Leekie walked away, turning the corner and coming face-to-face with Delphine who had been eavesdropping on their exchange. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"Oh. This is... a predicament."

Delphine stood up a little straighter, trying to make herself seem bigger and unafraid, but to no avail while Rachel glared at her. She knew she was one of the last people that either of them would have wanted to overhear their conversation, aside from any of the clones themselves.

"You know," Leekie started. "Your job is to spy on Cosima, not us."

"I... I was coming this way when I heard you. I didn't mean to... to... but then I heard Kira's name," Delphine attempted to explain.

She felt a sudden burst of defiance.

"You know where Sarah's daughter is. You've known all along."

"Yes. She's with us," Rachel clarified, approaching Leekie and Delphine.

Rachel had regained her composure, the callousness returning and settling right where it belonged. She turned to face Leekie.

"Leave us."

The older man shrugged, then drifted by the two women, leaving them standing there alone in the hallway. Rachel sized Delphine up, making the French woman feel uncomfortable, just like she always did. The clone narrowed her eyes at Delphine, gauging her reaction and waiting for a response.

"It isn't right. She's a child. She didn't ask for any of this."

Rachel rolled her eyes.

"And you think that I did? Do you think that me or Sarah or Alison or _Cosima_ asked to be born into any of this? Of course not. But this is the game that we play, Doctor."

"I won't be a part of this," Delphine protested.

"Oh, but you already are."

Ice.

"Tell me," Rachel began, taking a step closer so that her and Delphine were just inches apart. "How much does Cosima mean to you?"

Delphine's head dropped, hanging low as her eyes began to gloss over with tears for the second time in twenty minutes. She already knew where Rachel was going with this and the thought that she'd be complicit in any of it made her want to evaporate.

"I understand you two have become quite..._ close_. It would be a shame if your relationship were to end so abruptly."

_Abruptly._

**"Cold turkey... what is that?"**

**"Oh. It means abruptly."**

"Don't get me wrong, Doctor Cormier. I'm not the enemy. I have no desire to watch Cosima die, either. She's a sweet girl and she has such a brilliant mind. She could live on to do great things... but that's entirely your decision."

She took a deep breath, composing herself, then exhaled.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Nothing," Rachel smiled. "I want you to do nothing."

Delphine arched a brow, unsure of the meaning behind Rachel's words. The shorter blonde had her at her complete mercy, the French woman was expecting her to demand information about Cosima, about Sarah and where she may be hiding, about the entire operation of the "rogue clones," as Leekie had been calling them. In truth, Delphine wasn't privy to much of that information herself. While Cosima seemed to trust her with her life, it appeared she didn't trust her with the lives of Sarah or Alison. Delphine could hardly blame her, considering the fact that she had exposed them to Leekie in the first place. When it came to Sarah and Alison, Cosima was as quiet as possible, telling the blonde only what she thought was absolutely necessary.

"You will do nothing. You will say nothing. This conversation? It never happened," Rachel clarified. "The question of Sarah's daughter is nonexistent. Or I could pull the plug on your research, on the treatment, and you can watch your lover die. Without DYAD, she doesn't stand a chance."

Another dry, abrasive lump formed in the doctor's throat. It tore at her insides and burned through her stomach as she swallowed it with a hesitant nod, watching the frigid clone stalk away from her, the sound of her heels clicking on the white quartz floor and echoing through the corridor. She took another minute to compose herself, straightening her coat and hair and checking her face in the window of Leekie's lab to make sure her eyes weren't puffy and her face wasn't red, which usually happened when she was crying or upset. As satisfied as she could be with her appearance, she continued on her way to the lab where she was expecting to see Cosima.

It was vacant.

Confused, she looked around to see if there was any sign of the clone. The lights were off, her coat and bag were gone, nobody seemed to be around. Panic shot through her as she headed down a different hallway this time, looking for any signs of life. She eventually ran into another doctor, a younger Asian man with horn rimmed glasses, most likely a research assistant.

"Excuse me," she stopped him, catching his elbow as he attempted to walk by her. "Have you seen Cosima?"

"Cosima?" he asked.

It was possible that he wasn't aware of who Cosima was, although most people who worked closely with Leekie had some basic form of knowledge or involvement in the cloning trial. He could tell by Delphine's expression that she was desperate and his features softened, sympathy bleeding through.

"Nose ring? Hair in braids?" she inquired further, hoping to spark his memory.

"Oh! That's... 324B21, right?"

She was quick to correct him.

"Cosima."

"S-Sorry," he replied, bowing his head in apology. "I didn't know her name. But yeah, I saw her earlier."

"Do you know where she is?"

"I'm pretty sure she left a couple of hours ago. She seemed... despondent."

"Despondent?" she asked, unfamiliar with the English word.

"Sorry. Upset," he clarified. "She seemed upset."

With the blonde's silent permission, he continued on his way and left her standing alone.

Cosima was upset.

She hadn't said anything.

They always left together. It had become their ritual and Cosima hadn't even thought to text her to say that she would be leaving early. She wondered if everything was okay, if something had happened. Had Cosima's health taken a turn for the worst? Is that why she had left early? Suddenly, she felt her greatest fear begin to manifest itself. Her instinct had told her not to let Cosima out of her sight, that she may never see her again if she left her alone with Leekie, Maybe she was overreacting, but ever since the clone had fallen ill, she just couldn't shake this sinking feeling that she would never see Cosima again.

She felt cold and breathless and hollow to the bone.


	2. II

**Author's Note:** You guys are the best. Seriously. This chapter took me a little longer than usual to finish. I ended up reworking it a few times because I wasn't entirely happy with it (the first few drafts were quite a bit darker), but I'm ultimately glad with how it turned out. Let me know what you think. Cheers! :)

* * *

When she arrived at their apartment, the door was left unlocked and Delphine felt a slight sense of relief knowing that Cosima was home, that she didn't wander off to be somewhere on her own in her condition. She opened the door, sliding herself through it and taking a look around, noticing that all the lights were off. If Cosima was home, there certainly wasn't any indication.

_"_Cosima?"she called out, flicking the light on.

Her eyes adjusted to the sudden lighting change and she spotted the brunette across the room, sitting at the table in silence, sipping on a glass of red wine. The bottle itself was half empty and the French woman could tell that she had been there for a while, drinking quietly in the dark while watching the cityscape from the window.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, hanging up her coat and dropping her bag. "You left without me, without saying anything at all. I was worried."

Cosima didn't answer. She tilted her head back, emptying the contents of the glass before reaching for the bottle to pour herself another. Delphine approached her slowly, cautiously, mindful of the space between them and the clone's unusual behaviour.

"What's going on?"

Cosima finally turned her head to acknowledge her lover, staring her directly in the eyes for a brief second before turning away again, taking another sip and continuing to gaze out the window. The action was like a slap in the face to the blonde, a deliberate "fuck you," so she reached out and grabbed the glass from Cosima's hand, pulling it away. The brunette made a noise in protest, but was quickly silenced by Delphine.

"Why are you upset with me?"

She hadn't seen Cosima all day and when they had left each other, everything seemed fine. She could only assume that something must have transpired throughout the course of the day in her absence. Cosima reached for the glass and Delphine extended her arm out behind her, holding it just out of Cosima's grasp, refusing to relent until the clone gave her some sort of explanation.

"Can you give me my wine back, please?" Cosima asked, making no attempt to hide her growing agitation.

"Not until you tell me what's going on."

Cosima sneered. She reached for the bottle this time, but Delphine was quicker, grabbing it with her free hand and holding it out of Cosima's reach, yet again. She backed away from the table, creating more distance between them. The two became locked in stare, each daring the other to make a move.

"Leekie and I had an interesting conversation today."

Delphine grew silent.

Her head dropped and her feet remained planted, her arms relenting and lowering to her sides with the glass and bottle still in hand. Cosima could have snatched them back at this moment with the blonde's guard down, but neither woman moved, Cosima's eyes like liquid amber as they remained fixated on Delphine, locking her in position with their intensity.

"How long have you been fucking him?"

There was danger in her voice, as well as pain and betrayal. Delphine's head shot up and she locked eyes with Cosima, returning her searing gaze with one of her own. It was clear that the pain and betrayal was mutual, the brunette's accusation like a punch to the gut.

"I'm not," she replied curtly.

"But you were."

There was a brief moment of silence, the two women searching each other, trying to predict the other's next move. The entire mood was so volatile and Delphine wondered how much she could or should disclose before she lit a fuse and the entire apartment burst into flames.

"_Oui_. Before we were together, I was with him."

It was the truth. She had not been with Leekie after Cosima became an option- her only option. While she could understand her lover's hostility toward her previous relationship with Leekie, her implication that her affair with the duplicitous doctor was ongoing was like a knife in her heart.

Delphine stepped a little closer until they were separated only by the table. She placed the forgotten glass and bottle on the surface, but neither woman's gaze shifted from each other. Cosima continued to search the blonde, to try and discern the truth in her lover's voice.

"Leekie and I... whatever we were... it wasn't serious and it's long over. It ended the second you first kissed me, in your apartment that night after dinner. Remember, _ma cherie_?"

Cosima shook her head, laughing incredulously as she pushed her chair out from the table and rose to her feet. She began to walk away, heading towards their bedroom, but Delphine followed closely behind as she attempted to justify her actions.

"I'm sure you were with many people before you were with me. I don't ask you about them. I don't get angry about them. Why are you so upset about this?"

Cosima came to a screeching halt. She whipped around, pinning the blonde in place with a glare that would make even the boldest man quake in fear. If looks could kill, the doctor would have been dead ten times over by now.

"Because we're talking about _Leekie_!" she shouted. "The man's a psychopath!"

"I know that now. I didn't then."

Cosima's eyes were brimming with tears.

"All of this bullshit... this is all his fault, Delphine! All of it!"

And suddenly, Delphine knew where this anger was coming from.

This was the exhaustion talking, the frustration and the fear finally rearing its head. Cosima was at Leekie's mercy, with absolutely no control over what was happening to her body. She was at the mercy of a man who saw her and her sisters as some glorified lab rats, who would probably sacrifice her life in a heartbeat if it would further his own agenda. No matter how many snarky comments she threw his way, this fact remained the same. And now she had learned that the only thing in her life that she had some semblance of control over- her relationship with Delphine- was being tainted by Leekie, as well.

The blonde relaxed, her posture slackening from its defensive state. Sympathy found its way to her face and she took a step closer to Cosima, trying to close the distance between them. The brunette was not receptive and she took a step back, maintaining the distance that her monitor was so desperate to erase.

"_Mon armour_," she pleaded.

Cosima met her gaze, her face serious and penetrating. Her eyes dropped, then rose again a second later as she gave Delphine a once over, trying her best to absorb the blonde's presence, to decode the enigma that stood before her.

"Why are you really with me, Delphine?"

The doctor blinked, unsure if she had heard her lover correctly, but she quickly realized from Cosima's continued austerity that she hadn't imagined the painfully calculated words that had fallen from her lips and stung like a swarm of hornets under threat.

"E-Excuse me?"

Cosima shook her head, turning her back and continuing her journey to their bedroom. Delphine managed to catch her elbow before the shorter girl could get more than a few steps away, holding her in position. There were a thousand thoughts racing through her head, a thousand things she wanted to say, but she said nothing. Instead she simply held Cosima still in a dangerous silence, waiting for the brunette to finish her train of thought.

"Do you feel guilty? Is that it?"

Cosima jerked her arm, roughly escaping the blonde's grasp. She turned around so the two were facing each other once again. There was no more retreating to the bedroom to hide, no more deflections or illusions. The clone's eyes were glaring at Delphine and shining with angry tears, unable to restrain her emotions anymore. It was a look the blonde had never seen before. It terrified her in more ways than she could fathom.

"Do you feel bad that I'm dying?" she began to unwind, her voice deep and aggressive as she stepped closer to the taller woman.

Delphine had been so desperate to close the space between them before, but now she found herself backing up, away from her lover and her suffocating gaze, her incisive words that threatened to strip all flesh from her body. With every backwards peddle, Cosima took one forward, never letting the blonde out of her range of aggression.

"You feel like you owe me something after everything you've done, so now you're hanging around until your debt is repaid. Is that it?"

Delphine's bottom lip quivered and she inhaled a shaky breath, gravity betraying her as a few vagrant tears spilled down her face. She stopped retreating. Cosima stopped advancing. They were standing in the middle of their living room, a mere few feet between them, a void filled with tension and heartbreak.

"How could you even say such a thing?" Delphine asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"It's the only logical reason I can come up with."

"So, the fact the I love you isn't reason enough?" She burst, her voice cracking at the confession.

The brunette had been out for blood. Now that she had it, she found the taste wasn't as sweet as she had hoped or imagined. It tasted different than the blood that stained her lips after a hacking fit; it was bitter and heavy on her tongue, preventing her from speaking. Upon seeing the blonde's tears and hearing her accidental confession, she realized that it wasn't Delphine's blood she had wanted at all. It was her heart. She was so afraid of what that meant, she tried to claw it out of the doctor's chest while it was still beating. But what use did she have for a heart without a name?

_"So, the fact the I love you isn't reason enough?"_

Delphine's words echoed in her ears and her own tears began to flow freely, her chest heaving. She hadn't been prepared for those words yet. Delphine's truth was somehow much harder than what she had been expecting. She looked up, meeting Delphine's gaze once again. When the blonde was able to finally see her- really see her- she stopped trembling like a leaf in the wind, her eyes void of their previous hurt, replaced by a silent understanding and devotion. Her lips upturned ever-so-slightly into a smile.

"Is that really so hard for you to believe, Cosima?" she asked softly.

Delphine took a step closer, finally closing the painful distance between them. Their bodies pressed together and her arms wrapped around the shorter girl, pulling her into her chest for a tight embrace. Cosima allowed herself to be held like that for a few minutes, wrapping her own arms around the slender woman and sinking into her. She tucked her head beneath Delphine's chin and sobbed quietly while her monitor simply hushed and stroked her softly.

When she finally regained some sense of composure, Cosima pried her head out from beneath Delphine's chin and looked up at her lover, whose fixed, assuring gaze seemed to steady her faltering body. Her eyes fluttered as she reached up, wrapping an arm around Delphine's neck and bringing her head down to meet her.

Their lips brushed together gently, slowly, more of a test than a profession of desire and with such innate tenderness that all previous accusations were soothed and forgotten. When they parted, Cosima pressed her forehead to Delphine's and both women inhaled deeply, allowing the other to enter their stream. Thumbs brushed at tears, removing solemn streaks from otherwise flawless features and when they finally opened their eyes again, there was a longing and understanding swimming atop the surface, though something much more primal lurking underneath.

"Please," Cosima breathed against her lips. "I need you."

Delphine already knew this because the need was one they shared, one that had settled in their centers and bonded to their bones, one that radiated through their bodies, sparking every limb to life. Her lips were back on the shorter girl's, but they were more feverish this time, more desperate and demanding. Cosima's arms wrapped around the blonde's neck and Delphine's went to her ass, pulling the clone roughly against herself until space was nothing more than an abstraction. The two went stumbling through the apartment until they crossed the threshold into their bedroom, their lips never parting despite nearly losing balance. Their clumsy dance didn't stop, however, until Delphine's back hit the wall and Cosima had her pressed against it, grinding her hips into the doctor's and eliciting something between a moan and a whimper.

Delphine's hands rose from the American's ass, cupping her face instead to give her more leverage to deepen the kiss, her tongue greedily claiming every inch of the clone's mouth for herself. Cosima quickly dispelled her tactic, her hands finding Delphine's and removing them from her face, pinning them against the wall on either side of her head. Their fingers clasped together and their lips parted momentarily, lazy smiles etched on both of their faces as they caught their breath. Cosima nuzzled her softly, their noses brushing together in an act of pure endearment.

"Bed," Delphine suggested, her chest still heaving and bursting for oxygen.

Cosima nodded, fusing their lips back together again. Her hands went to Delphine's blouse, tearing at the fabric. The sound of buttons scattering across the floor filled the room but neither woman cared as Delphine all too willingly shrugged the article from her shoulders and slowly walked the shorter girl backwards until her knees hit the bed. The blonde was on her quickly, smothering her completely with lips and tongue and hands. They were in such a hurry for skin, she wasn't quite aware of how it happened, but their clothes were stripped away in a flash until they were finally in their natural state, their skin hot and slick as they molded into each other.

The room was completely dark, lit only by the faintness of the moon shining hesitantly through the curtain of the window, but it was fine. In the darkness they see each other with perfect clarity, two sets of eyes burning skin and stealing souls, staking claim to one another. They lay still for a moment and the room is silent aside from their laboured breathing, the brunette on her back with her head buried in the crook of Delphine's neck, inhaling the sweet scent of the blonde draped over her body. She slid a leg between the French woman's, feeling her wetness hot against her thigh and Delphine bucked against her, sending electricity up her spine and causing the pale woman to shudder.

"_Si douce_," she whispered breathlessly into the clone's ear.

Cosima sighed as Delphine took her lobe between her teeth, sucking and nibbling gently as she continued to grind against Cosima's thigh. Cosima raked her nails down her monitor's back and Delphine's lips continued their descent down the column of her neck, planting open mouthed kisses until she reached the clone's clavicle, then dragged her lips across to the base of her throat. The brunette tilted her head back to oblige the blonde, allowing her to trace the length of her throat with her tongue, stopping at the underside of her jaw to plant another tantalizing kiss. Cosima did her best to stifle an inevitable yowl, sending vibrations through the blonde's lips which upturned into a seductive smirk. The American looked up at her, eyes wide and hungry, begging the blonde to satiate her in the way that only she knew how. Delphine reached for her hands, pinning them to the bed on either side of her head without ever breaking eye contact, smirk still firmly in place.

"_Tous la mienne._"

Cosima lifted her head to meet the French woman's descending lips and they clashed violently, teeth clanging together and tongues skimming over lips as they both battled for control. Delphine's position gave her the upper hand, but the quirky girl beneath her wasn't willing to concede so easily. They fell into a momentum, their mouths melding together and tongues dancing idly with one another in a dance of exploration. No matter how many times they kissed, each time was always new; there was always something to be learned, a deeper essence to be felt.

Delphine shifted so that her center was pressed against Cosima's and both women gasped at the sensation. She released the brunette's hands and sat up straight so she was straddling Cosima and the two became locked in stare, each daring the other to make the next move. Cosima thrusted her hips upward and both women moaned loudly, drowning each other out. The blonde then reached down, gripping just below Cosima's breasts, giving her enough purchase to grind herself into the smaller girl. She continued to roll her hips and Cosima moaned, gripping them tightly as she met each roll with one of her own, the two finding a common rhythm. The friction was starting to become unbearable.

"God, Delphine," she panted.

She licked her lips and looked up at the blonde through hooded lids, struggling to keep her eyes open as the slick heat between her legs ground continuously against Delphine's in a form of delicious torture. She forced herself to watch, to take in every detail of the French woman as she rocked enthusiastically against her body; the way her back arches, the way she bites her bottom lip to try and suppress a moan (and fails miserably), the way she throws her head back each time Cosima's thrusts meet her own, her breasts bouncing ever-so-slightly, creating a spectacle for the clone to admire. Her hands slid from Delphine's hips, traveling up her sides and cupping the swells of flesh. She flicked her thumbs over the nipples, rolling them between her fingers and the blonde pressed down even harder against her, causing her to cry out and her body to quake.

Cosima forced herself up into a sitting position so that Delphine was now straddling her lap. Her mouth ravaged the French woman's chest, sucking and nipping, while her hand drifted south, finding the place where she was most needed. Delphine wrapped her arms around Cosima's head, holding her face to her chest in an almost suffocating lock, and she gasped loudly as she felt Cosima's fingers begin to dance in her wetness.

"Cosima!" she moaned loudly, egging the clone on.

She never grew tired of hearing her name fall from Delphine's lips and she took it as all the encouragement she needed, slipping her fingers inside. Delphine thrusted wildly against her hand, desperate for even more friction. Her hands pulled Cosima's head towards her own for a punishing kiss, one that sucked all the air from their lungs and left the promise of bruised lips in the morning. When their lips parted, they locked gazes once again, Cosima's fingers never relenting, Delphine's breath hitching and eyes fluttering with each and every thrust; her eyes were so dark and glossy now, Cosima was certain she'd lose herself in them forever if she continued to maintain her gaze, and it would be a fate much better than the one that awaited her back at DYAD.

"I love you," she finally confessed, her words a hot expulsion of breath against Delphine's lips.

They came from somewhere deep inside of her and clawed their way to the surface, threatening to tear her apart if they stayed inside for a second longer. She knew she shouldn't have said them, but she didn't regret it.

The look on Delphine's face became much more serious and she reached down between them for Cosima's wrist, stopping her ministrations. She pulled Cosima's hand up and held it flat against her chest, right above her heart. Cosima could feel it slamming hard against the French woman's chest, ready to burst out at any second.

"Can you feel it?" Delphine whispered.

Cosima swallowed, nodding in response.

"It's you," Delphine explained. "Always you. Only you."

She lowered them both back down onto the bed so that Cosima was flat on her back, then kissed her softly, their fingers intertwining as she thrust herself again Cosima's wetness once again. While their mouths danced gently with one another, their lower halves rocked against each other in a much harder manner until neither woman could stand the friction anymore. Their release was nearly simultaneous; Cosima's back arched as she unleashed a long, deep moan from the pit of her stomach and Delphine buried her face in Cosima's neck, muffling her own cries. They rode out the storm of electricity that overtook their bodies together, trembling against each other until Delphine's body finally gave out and she collapsed on top of Cosima in a heap of sweat and satisfaction.

It took them both a few minutes to regain their strength and once they did, Delphine rolled off of the smaller woman, turning her back to her. Cosima curled up close, wrapping her arms around her pale lover and spooning her from behind, burying her face in the back of Delphine's neck, inhaling the intoxicating scent of her perfume mixed with sweat.

"I'm sorry I was such a bitch before," Cosima mumbled against the blonde.

The doctor rolled herself over so she was facing Cosima. She gave the clone a weak smile and reached out, cupping her face and stroking it tenderly. Cosima's eyes fluttered closed and she sighed deeply, reveling in the sensation of Delphine's soft touch.

"It's okay."

Cosima shook her head, blinking back tears and the blonde's smile disappeared, replaced by concern. She recognized the look in Cosima's eyes as one of shame and she felt a pang in her chest as she leaned forward, pressing kisses to the clone's eyelids.

"No, it's not okay," Cosima began. "I shouldn't have spoken to you like that. It was out of line."

"Really, _ma cherie_. It's fine," Delphine replied.

She shifted, moving herself so that she was now on top of Cosima once again, hovering over, arms resting on either side of the American's head and casting a shadow on her face. She took in the shorter woman's delicate features, amazed that such a being could exist. While many questioned the ethics and morality surrounding genetic engineering, she did not; maybe it was a defiance of nature, but if defying nature resulted in the creation of something so perfect, then she was more than willing to continue defying it. Maybe one day there would be a whole world full of Cosimas, full of beings so beautiful and strong and smart and delicate, brightening the world just by being a part of it.

That was her utopia.

But no matter how many Cosimas were out there, no matter how many clones DYAD had unleashed upon the world, this one would always be hers. She was just as much a part of the clone now as her traitorous lungs, as the ink on her skin, as the movement in her hands while she spoke. And just as she was certain of this, she was certain that Cosima had become a part of her now, too, present in every heartbeat, every breath taken, every thought processed. They were inescapable, inevitable to each other now.

"You're sick. You're exhausted. You're allowed to lose your temper. In fact, I'm surprised you haven't sooner," she said.

There was a beat of silence as both women gazed deeply into each other and Cosima offered her monitor a small smile of gratitude.

"I'm sorry that I ever doubted you, Delphine."

Delphine froze as soon as the words left Cosima's lips, the colour draining from her face. She knew they were meant to be reassuring, but instead they sent ice through her veins. All she could think of was Kira, of the cold and manipulative Rachel forcing her to lie to Cosima when the clone's faith in her was now finally restored. It seemed like some cruel joke.

"You've been nothing but good to me ever since I got sick. You're pretty much the only person I can-"

Delphine silenced her lover with her lips, preventing the dreadlocked girl from finishing her sentence. She couldn't bare to hear Cosima continue on about how much she trusted her, not while she was lying directly to her face. It was a complete betrayal, one that tainted their relationship and one she knew they would never be able to recover from.

Cosima was caught off guard by the kiss but allowed herself to sink into it, cupping Delphine's face in her hands. That was when she felt the tears, salty droplets landing on her own cheeks, falling from above. She opened her eyes and realized that Delphine was crying, her eyes betraying her lips. The brunette pulled away from the kiss.

"Hey, hey," Cosima cooed, nuzzling Delphine. "What's wrong?"

Delphine said nothing, her lips returning to the reluctant clone's, desperate for the ceasing of language. Words could not be trusted anymore. Words had failed them both too many times. Cosima tried to resist, recognizing Delphine's attempt to distract her, sliding her head to the side to free her lips from the blonde's.

"Delphine?"

"Please, Cosima," was all she said, her voice shaky and broken. "Just let me love you."

Cosima's own eyes began to well up with tears again and she nodded silently, allowing her monitor the reprieve she so desperately needed. This was what their relationship had become; these tiny moments of finding solace in each other, moments where Cosima didn't have to be dying, where she didn't have to be 324B21, where Delphine didn't have to be a liar or a monitor. In these moments, they belonged only to each other, were responsible only for one another.

In these moments, their lives seemed almost bearable.

She could try to tell Cosima how sorry she was, how much she loved her, but she knew the clone would never believe her words ever again when the truth about Kira inevitably came out. All she had left was action; she had lips and hands and fingers and tongue; she had her body, pressed firmly against the brunette, pinning her to the bed; she had the trail of fire she left as her lips descended down Cosima's neck, chest, stomach, lower and lower, ignoring the clone's concern as she finally settled between her legs; she had Cosima's moans, her sweetness on her tongue, the bucking of her hips against her face; she had the power to release her from her own body, the one that seemed to betray the clone at every turn.

She had the power to make her timeless.


	3. III

**Author's Note:** Sorry this took so long! I was in the process of moving, so that sucked up a lot of my time, and then my file crashed and I lost 3/4 of the chapter I had written, so I had to rewrite it again. But here it is. It's pretty long and plot-heavy, so hopefully that makes up for it. Thanks for all your wonderful responses. Please let me know what you think. Enjoy! :)

* * *

She rang the wash cloth tightly, watching as the water descended into the sink in tiny droplets. The sound of muffled coughing overpowered the sound of running water, or perhaps she had just learned to tune everything else out. The only sounds she even noticed anymore were the ones that came from Cosima; the absence of breath, the gargling of fluid as she tried to regain it, and on the better days (which were becoming increasingly sparse), the sound of weak laughter or a cheeky comment that had been reduced to a whisper. Everything else in her life was white noise.

She wondered how things went bad so quickly. Just a month ago, Cosima was fine. Well, maybe not completely fine, but she at least had enough strength to walk up a flight of stairs or enough breath to finish her sentences; she had enough energy to fight and fuck, to love and hate with her whole body. Jennifer's ailment had taken about eight months to finally conquer her, but Cosima's was progressing much more quickly. In just a few months, she had gone from perfectly healthy to bedridden. It was a lot worse than either of them feared and she knew that they were almost out of time.

They needed a breakthrough _now_.

Turning the faucet off and mustering her best poker face, she headed back into the darkness of the bedroom which was illuminated only by the dimness of the lamp on the nightstand. She could see the brunette huddled on the far side of the bed, in the fetal position, desperately trying to steady her breathing.

"_Ma cherie_," she whispered gently, sliding into bed.

Cosima turned to face her, face pale, lips dry and stained a special shade of red. She was clutching a handkerchief close to her chest which was spotted with crimson disease. Delphine brought the cloth to her forehead first, dabbing it gently and eliciting a weak smile from the clone.

"That feels nice," she uttered through a stolen breath.

She then brought the cloth lower, this time to Cosima's mouth. She traced her lips through the fabric, then dabbed at her chin, making sure to clean any scarlet residue away. When she was done with her gentle ministrations, she discarded the cloth and brought her hand to the clone's cheek, caressing it gently.

"Perhaps we should consider-"

"No."

She tried her best to hide her displeasure, but the brunette's stubbornness was beginning to get the better of her. She didn't want to say or do anything to upset Cosima in her state, but they were running out of options and the clone refused to even acknowledge the inevitable.

"It would be much easier for you if you were admitted. There would be doctors to monitor you. You'd be more comfortable," Delphine explained, trying to persuade her lover.

"I don't need other doctors. I have you. You're monitoring me, remember?"

"Yes, Cosima, but it's not the same."

"Delphine, please," she begged. "I'm... I'm not ready for that. Not just yet."

Delphine released a sigh, leaning over to brush her lips against the clone's in a chaste kiss. Cosima's breathing finally became somewhat steady, somewhat less laboured. The blonde reached over her, flicking the lamp off and settling back into a comfortable position. Cosima clung to her dearly, resting her head on the doctor's chest, with Delphine's arm wrapped around the girl's small frame.

"Okay," Delphine finally relented. "We'll wait a little longer. But if your condition gets any worse, I'm taking you to the institute. Understood?"

"Deal."

* * *

The distracted blonde paced back and forth across the bedroom, checking her watch religiously with a scowl on her face. Cosima's eyes followed her from her position on the bed, watching as Delphine's patience slowly slipped away.

"Just chill," she said, her voice coarse as sand. "He probably just got held up."

"He said he would be here at eight," Delphine replied. "It's a quarter after. I'm going to be late."

"Then be late," Cosima shrugged.

"I'm not like you, _ma cherie_. I place value in punctuality."

The brunette began to giggle and upon seeing this, Delphine couldn't help but laugh herself. She reveled in the small moments where she could see a sliver of the Cosima she had met months ago, the cheeky girl so full of laughter and life and optimism. As the clone's laughter began to build, however, the coughing followed in a particularly vicious fit, leaving the girl gasping for air. Delphine rushed over, a look of pure horror etched on her features. She reached for Cosima before realizing that there was nothing she could do, not really; she couldn't stop the coughing, she couldn't force air into Cosima's lungs. All she could do was watch, rubbing her lover's back in an attempt to comfort her.

She had never felt so inadequate in her entire life.

She had never felt so _powerless_.

"I-I'm okay," Cosima finally mustered, wiping her mouth with her handkerchief.

"Cosima, _please_ let me bring you in," Delphine begged.

"I already told you no. Felix will be here any minute. He'll take care of me. Don't worry, Delphine."

But she was far beyond worrying.

Worrying was a distant memory, when Cosima had first told her she was sick that night in Felix's loft. She wished she could go back to just worrying, to just being concerned for Cosima's health, not obsessing over every hitch in breath, every spatter of blood expelled, not considering the horrific truth. The treatment wasn't working. Cosima was getting worse. Much worse. At the current rate, Delphine was certain she wouldn't make it another month.

Her phone finally began to buzz, distracting her from the darkness in which her thoughts were beginning to plunge. She released a sigh of relief and maneuvered herself off the bed and towards the door.

"That's him," she told Cosima.

She reached the front door and opened it to find the immaculately groomed man standing on the other side, holding a bottle of wine in one hand and a bag of his belongings in the other.

"You're late," Delphine snapped.

"Well, excuse me, Grace Kelly," he said defensively, sauntering into the apartment. "I've been getting it from all sides of the clone club today and the sun's barely up."

"What?"

Felix placed the bottle of wine on the table, as well as his bag. He removed his coat and draped it over one of the chairs and then proceeded to fix his hair.

"Alison's in the midst of another mental breakdown and Sarah-"

"Sarah?" Delphine interrupted.

As far as she knew, Sarah was on the run. At least, that's what Cosima had told her. Delphine had never actually met Sarah and with Rachel and her men hunting her down, she figured the chance of seeing the British clone anytime soon was probably very slim.

"Is she back? Do you know where she is?" Delphine inquired.

Felix shot her a glare.

"You can tell that frigid bitch that she isn't going anywhere near my sister."

The younger man still didn't fully trust the doctor. Over the past few months, he had come to see that Delphine did care about Cosima in her own, complicated way; he'd be a fool to doubt that. However, she was still working for DYAD, for Rachel, which he knew was bad news. Her allegiance to DYAD was like a black cloud that followed her, constantly looming over her head with the threat of a dangerous storm. The only reason he was standing there at that moment wasn't for Delphine, but for the slowly diminishing clone who shared a bed with her; Cosima's weakened state meant she could no longer make trips to the institute, but Delphine could hardly sit around and do nothing. She was most effective in a lab, so she had taken to calling Felix or Alison to watch Cosima whenever she had to go into work.

The tension between the two dissipated when the familiar sound of strangled coughing pierced the air. Delphine ran a hand through her hair, chewing on her lower lip and Felix's entire demeanor shifted, becoming much softer.

"How is she?"

Delphine shook her head and then took a deep breath, trying hard to compose herself. Her eyes were glossy with tears and she blinked them back, refusing to succumb to the hopelessness of the situation.

"Not well," she said with a shaky breath.

In a rare and awkward display of sympathy towards the blonde, Felix placed a hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her.

"I'll take care of her. If things get worse, I'll call."

She nodded, then grabbed her bag. She quickly made her way back into the bedroom to say goodbye to Cosima. The brunette greeted her with a crooked smile and ragged breathing, sitting up slightly, leaning back against the headboard for support.

"I'm leaving now, _mon amour_," she whispered.

Cosima nodded. The blonde leaned over, giving her girlfriend a quick peck on the lips. Felix lingered in the doorway of the bedroom, watching the two women as he held the bottle of wine loosely in one hand. Once they had finished saying their goodbyes, Delphine hurried on her way, brushing by Felix on her journey to the door. As soon as they heard it click shut, Felix held the bottle up for Cosima to see, dangling it in front of her as if it were a prize he'd just won.

"So. Drink?"

Cosima tried her best to stifle a laugh out of fear of another fit, but she couldn't contain her smile. Alcohol and/or drugs seemed to be Felix's solution to most of life's problems. As things grew bleaker for her, it didn't seem like a bad one, either. At least alcohol made sense.

"It isn't even nine o'clock, Felix."

He shrugged.

"Yeah, but it's all so fucking _depressing_," he replied. "If I have to wait for happy hour to come along, I'm gonna slit my wrists. May as well make our own, since no one else is gonna help us there."

She couldn't argue with that.

* * *

Keeping Rachel Duncan waiting was never a wise decision. As Delphine hurried towards her office, she hoped that the clone was in a forgiving mood, as she was supposed to there a half an hour ago. It seemed Cosima was rubbing off on her in more ways than she could have ever anticipated.

Through the glass, she could see Rachel typing away at her desk and she stepped into the doorway, knocking gently to get her superior's attention. Rachel looked up from her monitor, clearly unimpressed.

"You're late, Doctor Cormier."

"Yes. I'm sorry. Cosima was having a difficult morning, I had to-"

"It's fine. Come in."

Delphine nodded nervously, stepping further into the dragon's lair, Rachel rose from behind her desk and slowly sauntered towards the doctor, her typical poker face in tact.

"How is Cosima?" she asked.

If Delphine didn't know the woman better, she would've sworn that Rachel was actually concerned for Cosima's well-being. Her voice did nothing to indicate this, but it wasn't in her character to inquire about others.

"Aldous told me she hasn't been in for a couple of weeks," Rachel added.

"The treatment... it isn't working," Delphine explained, tying to maintain her composure. "She's only getting worse. Much worse."

Rachel narrowed her eyes.

"Then she needs to be admitted. Bring her in."

Delphine shook her head.

"I-I already asked her. I begged her. She said no."

Rachel took a step closer to the doctor, eyes raking over the taller girl in a far too critical manner.

"I didn't say ask her. I said bring her."

Delphine was afraid of this. When Rachel had insisted upon a meeting, she knew it had to be about Cosima, since that was the only thing the two had in common. For the first couple of days, Delphine was able to convince Leekie and the others that Cosima was having a particularly bad day, that she just needed some sleep before she would return to work. After two weeks, it was clear that it wasn't just a "bad day," but that her illness had progressed to the next stage- the final stage. She feared that they would force her to bring Cosima in, for she knew that if it came to that, if she had to call a DYAD team or even drag the dreadlocked clone in herself, Cosima would never forgive her.

"You know," Rachel started. "I called you in here for a reason, not just to inquire about your girlfriend's health."

Delphine straightened up. Rachel had called Cosima her girlfriend, not her subject or her patient, like Leekie often did. Perhaps it was because she was a subject herself, but Rachel seemed to be able to view Cosima, as well as the other clones, as more than just a sequence of numbers. She understood that they were people and she never undermined that fact. It was perhaps the only redeeming quality that Delphine could find in her.

"I took the liberty of pulling Kira Manning's medical records. She was struck by a vehicle right before she came into our custody."

The French woman arched an eyebrow. Cosima had never told her anything about Kira being involved in a car accident and she wondered why Rachel was bringing it up now, why it was relevant at all to Cosima's health.

"It was a very serious accident. One that most certainly should have killed the girl. In fact, if anyone else had been in Kira's position, they most certainly would have died."

"I don't understand why you're telling me this," Delphine said.

"Kira's wounds- wounds that should have been substantial and fatal- were nothing more than scratches and bruises... scratches and bruises that have already completely healed," Rachel explained. "It's as if she was never in an accident at all. Remarkable, really. It spurred me to dig a little deeper into her records."

"What are you saying?" Delphine asked hesitantly, fearing where the clone was going.

"Did you know that Kira Manning has never once been admitted to the hospital prior to her accident?"

"That's not unusual. She's a young girl. How many reasons could someone so young have for being in a hospital?" Delphine retorted.

"Her medical records indicate that she's never once been sick. No chicken pox, no tonsillitis, not so much as a fever or a cold. Children are often breeding grounds for viruses, and yet the child has never had so much as the sniffles. Why do you think that is, Doctor Cormier?" Rachel asked.

"I have no idea. Kira isn't my patient."

"Unfortunately, we don't have anything more concrete than what's already in her files. Kira's never undergone any blood tests, something I'm sure Siobhan was very careful to avoid. But from what little data we have, it would appear that Kira Manning's healing abilities are quite... advanced."

Delphine was silent.

"I'm saying that the child may be our best chance at curing Cosima, Doctor Cormier."

"You don't know that," Delphine said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"No, we don't. We haven't been able to run our own tests because the board keeps interfering, although I hope to clear things up very soon. I think once they know that Kira Manning may be the key to curing Cosima and ensuring our survival, they'll be more than willing to allow us to run our tests."

Delphine shook her head. It was deplorable, running invasive medical examinations on a child. At the same time, if Rachel's theory was true, if Kira really could be the answer to Cosima's disease, then wouldn't it be worth it? The child wouldn't be killed or even seriously harmed in the examinations, so wouldn't subjecting her to a few procedures be worth it if it meant they could save the lives of their subjects, of Cosima?

"I can understand your hesitation, but you said it yourself; our treatments aren't working and Cosima's only getting worse. She's running out of time, Doctor Cormier, and Kira may be her very last hope."

Delphine expels a long, defeated sigh.

"What do you need me to do?"

"First of all, you have to bring Cosima in. Not for me, but for her own sake. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that," Rachel said. "And more importantly, I want Sarah Manning."

"Sarah?" Delphine asked. "I already told you, I've never even met her. I don't know where she is. Neither does Cosima."

"Are you so sure about that?"

Delphine paused.

"We have reason to believe that Sarah has been in contact with Cosima, as well as Alison Hendrix and her insufferable foster brother."

If Rachel was telling the truth, Delphine had no idea. Cosima had kept her in the dark about her involvement with Sarah and while she understood her lover's motives, she would be lying if she said it didn't hurt.

"Force Cosima to lure Sarah out. Once we have Sarah, I'll give the go ahead for our team to begin testing on Kira right away. Hopefully, they'll find a cure in time and Cosima will be safe," Rachel explained.

"And if they don't find a cure in time?"

Rachel maintained her steely gaze, then simply shrugged her shoulders.

"Well."

Delphine's hands balled into fists at her side. If DYAD wasn't able to manufacture some sort of treatment from the data they collected from Kira, then she would be turning Sarah over, betraying Cosima's trust and forcing a child to undergo medical testing for nothing.

Was it really worth the reward?

"I'll see what I can do."

* * *

The truth bubbled in her chest like a pot of boiling water, threatening to spill over the top. She knew that if she simply asked Cosima about her involvement with Sarah, the spectacled clone would continue lying to her. She would never give her sister up, that much was certain, and without Sarah, Cosima had no hope.

There was only one way to lure Sarah out into the open.

It had Delphine's stomach in knots ever since she left Rachel's office. No. Ever since she learned the truth about DYAD's involvement in Kira's abduction. She needed to tell Cosima everything; there were no guarantees that anything would work out and Cosima needed to know the truth. She had the right to know, even if it meant their relationship. Cosima had a right to truth and knowledge and happiness and _life_, none of these she would ever really have with Delphine, as the doctor was slowly coming to realize.

She slid her key into the lock and twisted it, pushing the door open. She could hear Felix's booming voice coming from the bedroom, recounting a tale about what appeared to be a very peculiar john.

"I'd only known the guy twenty minutes and he pulled out a fucking _bull whip_!" Felix exclaimed.

She could hear Cosima's cautious laughter and she smiled to herself. She knew that in ten minutes time, there would be no more laughter. There may never be laughter again. She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, allowing for Felix to finish his story. She wanted to hear Cosima's laughter for just a little while longer.

"Oi!" she heard Felix call out after he finished with his story. "I heard the door close! We know you're here, Jean Harlow! Come and give us a kiss!"

She obeyed, reluctantly heading over towards the bedroom. She paused in the doorway and two pairs of eyes settled on her. Felix was clearly drunk, a wide grin on his face, but Cosima's was even wider.

"Hey," she said. "I missed you. Come here."

Delphine smiled weakly, walking over towards the bed. She leaned down and pressed her lips to Cosima's, allowing them to linger for longer than was probably acceptable with Felix watching them.

"Hey! Where's my kiss?" he interrupted.

"You don't need a kiss. You have creepy dudes with bull whips, remember?" Cosima teased.

Felix shrugged.

"Well, when you're right, you're right."

The two laughed in unison while Delphine kept a more serious demeanor. Cosima quickly picked up on this, glancing suspiciously at the blonde while Felix began to poke at her.

"Jesus. Lighten up, blondie. She's the one who's dying, not you."

"I need to speak with Cosima alone," Delphine snapped.

It came out a bit harsher than she would have liked, and as grateful as she was for Felix's help with the entire situation, his presence was becoming a nuisance. She needed him to be gone, out of there space.

"Shit. Fine. You're welcome, by the way," he replied, sitting up.

"I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude. It's just... I have to tell Cosima something really important. It can't wait," she tried to explain.

"Fun day at the office?" he inquired. "Did you skin any monkeys or create any more genetically modified freaks to roam about?"

"Hey now," Cosima interjected.

"It's... it's about a possible treatment."

"Really?" Cosima asked, perking up.

"Okay," Felix said, becoming a bit more serious. "I won't distract you. Get to saving this precious angel's life."

He leaned over, pressing a kiss to Cosima's cheek. Cosima mumbled her goodbye and Felix disappeared shortly after, giving the two women their privacy. Delphine continued to stand there, staring at Cosima, taking in every detail; the hopeful glint in her eyes, the small smile stretched across her pale face, all of her warmth still radiating despite her situation.

"What's up?"

Delphine took a seat on the edge of the bed and ran a trembling hand through her hair, taking a few shaky breaths as she prepared herself for the onslaught that was to come. There would be no coming back from this. She was certain this would be the final nail in the coffin, but if it meant that Cosima would live, then she would hammer it in herself with unworthy hands.

"There's something you should know," she began.

Cosima sat up so that her back was flat against the headboard, her face becoming deadly serious as she searched Delphine's features. The last time she had seen the blonde in such a state was in her apartment when the truth had finally come out, when the French woman was begging for her trust. She knew this did not bode well.

"Delphine? What is it?" she pried.

The room became completely still, overcome by a thick silence. Even Cosima's breathing had regulated itself, as if her body knew that the doctor's response would be too much for her to handle in such a fragile state.

"DYAD has Kira."

All was still again.

It took the clone a second to process the blonde's confession. She thought that maybe she had misheard her, that now her ears had turned to poison as well. It wasn't so hard for her to distrust her own body, since it was already failing her. The thing that terrified her the most was that she'd rather her body be the traitor than the woman she'd let far too deep under her skin, much farther than the polyps and her disease-ridden cells.

"What?"

"They've had her this whole time," Delphine explained, her eyes wide and glossy.

"A-And you knew?"

She nodded.

Cosima's head dropped, her face hidden from the doctor's view. Delphine was biting down on her lower lip so hard, she was surprised she hadn't drawn blood. She watched as the clone retreated into herself, into her own hollowness, like a turtle into its shell.

"_Why do you keep doing this to me?_"

The voice that spoke did not belong to Cosima. It was much too small and much too weak and much too _void of life_ to be Cosima's. It was more of a whimper, like the sound a dying animal makes as it breathes its final, agonizing breaths in solitude. Delphine could feel her heart snap in two within the walls of her chest.

"Cosima-"

"_Why do I keep letting you do this to me_?"

She leaned in closer and reached out to caress the dreadlocked girl's face, as she often did to comfort her. She was rebutted by Cosima's own hand which connected with her face, only in a much less loving manner. The slap was audible for miles and played on a loop, ringing in both pairs of ears. The impact, however, was relatively harmless to the blonde; she didn't feel the sting on her face, for it was the look of utter _contempt_ and _desolation _in Cosima's eyes that was the source of her pain.

Everything else was nonexistent.

"You knew! You knew this whole time and you _lied_ to me!" she screamed, her voice roaring like thunder.

Cosima had not spoken so forcefully in nearly a month. Her lungs did not allow it, as they stripped her of the necessary fire. Her anger and shouting worked her into a frenzy, one that made breathing an even more impossible task. She heaved and wheezed and hacked while Delphine looked on in horror, watching splatters of blood shoot out onto the bedsheets.

"Please, _ma cherie_, calm down!" she begged.

Not for her sake, but for Cosima's. She tried once more to get closer to the clone, but once again, Cosima managed to swat her away with what little strength she had left. Her body may have been betraying her, but her will certainly wasn't.

"Don't touch me! Get away!"

She threw her feet over the side of the bed while still struggling for air.

"Cosima, please-"

"Just shut up!"

She was on her feet again, but only momentarily, as she went stumbling forward and fell to the ground, landing on her knees. She used the palms of her hands to brace the impact and she continued coughing violently, her body nearly seizing as she was hunched over on the bedroom floor.

"_Cosima_!"

Delphine was on her in an instant, wrapping her arms around her waist in an attempt to pull her into a sitting position, but Cosima continued to writhe and struggle against her touch. She forced the blonde to be more aggressive than she would have liked and she pulled Cosima into her, falling backwards herself until the brunette was sitting in her lap. She maintained a tight grip around Cosima's waist, holding her in position until the clone eventually lost the strength to fight back. The coughing eventually slowed before ceasing, but her body continued to jerk and tremble and that's when Delphine noticed that the hacking fit had evolved into heavy, messy sobs. She buried her face into Cosima's dreads and hushed her gently, trying to calm her down to prevent any further strain. The sound of a single, strangled word between sobs echoed through the air, repeated as a mantra while Delphine rocked the smaller girl back and forth.

"_Why? Why? Why? Why? Why?"_

"I didn't have a choice, Cosima," she whispered into her ear.

Cosima brought her hand to her face, brushing away the tears and snot, attempting to scrub away the weakness, as if her life had become an etch-a-sketch.

"You know," the brunette began, her voice low and coarse. "You keep saying that. But the truth is, Delphine, that there's always a choice. You just seem to always make the most fucked up one."

She tried to pull herself back onto her feet, but found it impossible to do on her own. As much as she despised her monitor's touch at the moment, she knew she required her assistance, so she allowed Delphine to help her up and back into the bed.

"She told me if I told you, she'd shut down our research," Delphine explained, tears descending one by one down the contours of her face, burning blisters in her skin. "I couldn't watch you die."

Cosima began to laugh and it was a sound that rattled the blonde; it wasn't the playful laughter that was so characteristic of the quirky girl, it was something much darker, something which she had never seen or heard before, despite the fact that she had grown to learn most everything about Cosima in the months since she'd become her monitor.

"Take a look, Delphine," she said, throwing her hands up in the air.

Defeated.

"I'm already dead."

Delphine shook her head rapidly, her eyes blurring and stinging, choking on the sound of a sob that she tried far too hard to stifle.

"No... no... _no_! We don't know that! It isn't over-"

"We've tried _everything_! Leekie's team spent eight months running tests on Jennifer and we've spent the last three trying to think of everything they could have missed! Nothing's working!"

"Please," Delphine begged.

She reached forward, taking Cosima's hands in hers. The brunette tried to pull away from her grip, but Delphine held her too tightly. Instead, she simply averted her gaze, staring off to the side, focusing on the wall.

"Please don't say that," she repeated.

"What else is there to say?" Cosima asked, her voice cracking "You know. Deep down, you _have_ to know."

Delphine continued to shake her head, trapped in a fit of denial. Her body fell forward, collapsing in a pile in Cosima's lap. The clone scoffed. She wanted to push her monitor away, but the full weight of her was too much for her to handle in her weakened state, so she allowed Delphine to remain in a pathetic heap.

"No... you're wrong... it can't be true," Delphine whispered into her thighs.

"Why not?"

Delphine removed her head from Cosima's lap, looking up to meet the brunette's gaze. Her eyes were wide and red and full of terror and Cosima had never seen such an expression before, not on Delphine, not on anybody. She didn't recognize it.

But then, no one had ever loved her like Delphine.

"Because I _need_ you!"

Cosima inhaled a shaky breath, her lip quivering and eyes welling with tears, once again. God, she hated herself for allowing Delphine to reduce her to such a state of raw emotion. She was a scientist, a thinker, a brain; she used her mind to make sense of the world around her, but when it came to Delphine, her brain was the very last organ she used to love her with.

"Where is Kira right now?" she asked.

"I'm not sure. Rachel has her somewhere, she didn't tell me," Delphine replied. "Did you know that Kira was in a car accident?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"She miraculously survived. Her body managed to heal it-"

"_No_."

She already knew where Delphine was going and she shut the blonde down before the words could even leave her mouth.

"Cosima-"

"No!"

She finally mustered the strength to push Delphine from her lap and roll away from her on the bed.

"I already know what you're gonna say and the answer is no! She's just a little girl, I'm not gonna turn her into a lab rat, too! How could you even consider it?"

Delphine's eyes grew dark.

"How could I not?"

Because what wouldn't she do to give Cosima even one more day of life? What wouldn't she do for the person who'd bled into every aspect of her life, every aspect of her being? If anything, it was an act of self preservation, for she knew without Cosima, she would cease to be.

"_Who are you_?" Cosima asked, staring at her in disgust.

"I'm a your monitor," Delphine said seriously. "Your guardian. It's my job to protect you. But above all that, I'm your lover, and it's my job to love you."

Cosima crossed her arms over her chest, shaking her head, clamping her eyes shut. She tried to ignore the blonde's words, to block them out; she wanted to be immune to them, but she realized that she never would be, so she reached for her phone instead.

"Make this right."

Delphine used the sleeve of her shirt to wipe away her tears and running makeup. Cosima handed her phone to Delphine and the blonde reached out, retrieving it from her. She stared at the screen, Sarah's name displayed in bold letters. She looked up to Cosima, confused.

"You have to make this right. Now. While you still can," the brunette told her.

"Cosima-"

"If you really do love me," Cosima interrupted. "If anything you said is even remotely true, then you'll make this right."

Delphine swallowed the lump in her throat, sitting up straighter. She nodded and gave the clone a small smile, but Cosima did not return it. In fact, the brunette looked away completely, unable to face Delphine anymore. The doctor pressed the 'talk' button and brought the phone to her ear.

"Sarah?"


End file.
